Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-04-21
A COSTLY FIRE.

Burning of John j. McGrath's Immense
Wall Paper Establishment In Chicago
Accompanied by Loss of Life-The Loss
Of Property Estimated at Half q Million.
CHICAGO, April 13-John j. McGrath's
wall paper establishment Nos. 100 to liz
Wabash avenue, the largest and nnest IN
the city, and one of the most extensive In
the country, was totally DESTROYED Dy nre
between three and four o'clock this r'orn-
ing The fire was already under great
Roadway when a private Waterman dis
covered smoke and fame ssuing from
the roof way to the back Of the building.
He turned In an alarm, but before the fire
department arrived the business
portion of the city was luu-
minated by the glare, and
general alarm was sent in Immediately.
This brought out all the apparatus that
could possibly find space to work in, and
streams of water were poured upon the
burning building from the front and rear,
and also from the roofs of ad Joining build
ings. Long before four o'clock one of the
cost1iest stocks of paper in the country
was being carried skyward and distrib-
uted in blazing sheets over the city. The
upper floors had fallen and the building
was to all appearance completely Quilted.
Great sections of the blazing paper were
being dropped upon the first floor, and it
seemed utterly impossible that any per
ton of the building could be saved.
AS soon as it became it apparent that
the building and its contents were doomed
to total destruction, the fremen turned
their attention to the buildings on either
side.
On the north stood the fine five-story
building once occupied by A. T. Stewart
& Co., and now occupied by Keith, Ber-
ham & Dezendorf, wholesale hardware
nal orr ,ts h,,i1
SO to 104 inclusive, was well protected
by strong fire wall and sue
cessfully resisted the flames, as did
the building on the south, also five-story
structure. 1t is occupied by o. B. Tennis
& Co., millinery; N. f. Sproehnle & Co.
jewelers.; T. B. Smith, straw goods; L
E. Crandan & Co., and T. D. Marsh & Co.
None of the tenants suffered any loss, ex.
cept possibly slight damage by water.
j. j. McGrath was said to be the owner
Of the building Nos. JOG to liz, which is
about eighty feet front by $50 deep. II
was stone front, and cost about $780,
600. Mr.. McGrath's stock was valued, il
is said, at nearly half million of dollars
Both stock and building are an almost to.
tai loss.
Shortly after four o'clock Captain Fred
Refs of truck No. was standing in the
alley IN the rear of the building, when
SEVERAL SIOucS loll lrOM Guc GUp Ok
the building. One of them struck Refs on
the left leg, fracturing it. He was taken
to his home.
1t is thought that man belonging to
the truck is imprisoned in the building.
He was at work on the first floor when
the roof and upper floors fell through
At half-past four o'clock John Heberlie,
lieutenant Of Engine Company No. 80, was
badly, possibly fatally, hurt. The mem
bers of No. SO hoisted ladder up to the
south window of the McGrath building,
and Heberlie started up with line Of
hose. As he reached the top of the ladder
the slippery condition of the sidewalk
caused the ladder, which was not braced,
to slide outward. Heberlie fell distance
Of twenty feet, alighting on the back Of
his heaG. His skull was fractured. He
was conveyed to the 3Ys house on Michi-
gan avenue, and at latest accounts was
still unconscious and not expected to Ire
more than few hours.
CHICAGO, April 13,-Michael Burns, of
truck No. 9, was standing in a fourth.
story window when a sheet of flame came
out, enveloped him and he fell into the
blazing mass.